BNSF Railway
Bio BNSF (Burlington Northern and Santa Fe or Burlington Northern Santa Fe) Railway is a standard-gauge US Class 1 freight railroad (major freight railroad) which operates over the Southwestern, Northwestern, and Midwestern United States. The railroad was formed when the ATSF (Santa Fe) and BN (Burlington Northern) US Class 1 regional railroads merged in 1995-1996, creating what is now known as BNSF Railway. BNSF operates over 1,000 or so trains per day, but as a result of such makes the railroad one of Union Pacific's main rivals (though both railroads operate over mostly the same trackage; yet, BNSF mainly covers routes and freight traffic that the UP doesn't. Such as some of the lines around the Powder River Basin in Wyoming). Norfolk Southern is one of their main partners as well. Yet; ironically, both NS and BNSF suffered during the economic down-turn (or the Great Recession) during 2008 in the United States. They are currently headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. History During the early 1990's, the last original remaining US Class 1 railroads were slowly in the process of becoming absorbed or merging into other railroads which began the next generation of railroading. As opposed to having over 60 or more Class 1 freight railroads covering the 48 mainland states throughout the nation, they became narrowed down to about 8 as a result of the "Railroad Hell" or the "Decline of Railroads" throughout the United States. Though, before 1995, 1996, and 1999; when such railroads as the SP, Conrail, CNW, and DRGW became defunct, the railroad freight market experienced several spikes (both negative and positive) during such times during the "Mega Mergers" during the 1990's. During BNSF's creation, however; the railroad experienced such issues, but was able to manage. Although the ATSF and BN's merger was one of the results of the decline, yet the merger was one of the most successful railroad mergers (besides CSX) to actually not have any financial issues (unlike Penn Central); though the railroad briefly struggled during numerous market spikes (as listed above), and to not have absorbed one another like with the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific merger in 1996. The success of the creation of BNSF led to having more trains over the former ATSF and BN's rail lines (as well as the expansion of other lines), more customers, the retirement of older locomotive units (such as the F45), the purchase of newer locomotive types (such as the Dash 9), and the creation of a new scheme and logo for the new company's locomotive fleets. BNSF's history is still being written as of today. Routes BNSF operates over former ATSF trackage '''throughout: '''New Mexico Texas Kansas California Arizona Nevada Illinois While their''' BN trackage''' consists of: Colorado Oregon Washington Illinois (once shared Chicago racetrack line with ATSF before merger) Wyoming Louisiana Idaho Minnesota Utah Nebraska North Dakota South Dakota Montana Paintschemes In 1996, a shy year after the merger, BNSF officially established their first official paintscheme known as "Heritage 1" (H1), which consists of having an ATSF-style logo as their official logo. In 1999, the "Heritage 2" (H2) scheme was introduced with ATSF-style lettering, with the current "Heritage 3" (H3) scheme being released in 2005 with their current "swoosh" style logo, which is considered to be the first official logo to be completely new and original. Many former patched and unpatched (units or locomotives with patchwork) BN and ATSF units still exist on their roster, but are often mistaken for their counter-part's existence; to which most average people confuse the precceding ATSF and BN railroad's existence with the lettering and paintschemes still remaining as opposed to being fully-repainted into the current, succeeding company's scheme. Aside from the H1 and H2 logo's being from ATSF origin, the H1 scheme is designed after the BN's "cascade" scheme used on their SD70MAC's, with the H2 scheme being more simple like with the BN's primary scheme, but having an ATSF-style hood logo and side lettering. BNSF's paintscheme colors are orange, yellow and black (although sometimes dark green) on their H1, H2, and H3 schemes. The H3 scheme has the same design as the H2 scheme, but with the "swoosh" logos added. BNSF #980 was actually one of the first to wear the company's first official paintscheme (excluding the earlier patched units Photo Gallery BNSF GP35.jpg|A patched former ATSF GP35. BNSF GP39E.jpg|A patched former BN GP39-2E. BNSF Warbonnet.jpg|A patched former ATSF C44-9CW (though, actually wearing ATSF livery with BNSF lettering as a result of an unfinished order before the merger). BNSF Warbonnet Dash 9's.jpg|Freshly-painted BNSF "Warbonnet" ("Fakebonnet") units leading a Conrail train out of Erie, Pennsylvania: the birthplace of the two units. BNSF 9647.jpg|BNSF 9647 "The Vomit Bonnet", the exclusive SD70MAC which wore a special scheme commemorating the success of the BNSF merger in 1996. BNSF SD70MAC.jpg|Former patched BN SD70MAC. Rare BNSF Patched Leased Unit.JPG|A leased GATX GP38-2 purchased by BNSF. BNSF 7695.JPG|BNSF #7695; the "odd-ball" GEVO. BNSF 8197.jpg|BNSF 8197, the "Odd-ball Pumpkin" or "The Great Pumpkin"; which retains a prototypical scheme similar to the "Vomit Bonnet" SD70MAC. BN Rotary Snowplow.jpg|A former BN-painted rotary snowplow with former BN-painted units. BNSF Rotary Snowplow.jpg|An H3-painted rotary snowplow. BNSF Rotary Snowplow 2.jpg|A former GN-painted "heritage" rotary snowplow with BNSF lettering and numbering. BNSF H3 SD70MAC.jpg|BNSF 8987; one of the only SD70MAC units to be repainted into the H3 scheme. BNSF H3 SD70MAC 2.jpg|BNSF 9846. BNSF 882.JPG|BNSF 882; one of the only surviving H3-painted Dash 8's on BNSF's roster. BNSF 8612.jpg|BNSF 8612; one of the three remaining former ATSF Yellowbonnet-painted B40-8 units. BNSF 8617.jpg|BNSF 8617. BNSF 8625.JPG|BNSF 8625. BNSF 563.jpg|BNSF 563 before being repainted. BNSF 563 H3.jpeg|BNSF 563 when it was repainted into the H3 scheme, whom is also one of the only B40-8W units to be painted in the scheme. BNSF Pinkbonnet.jpg|A faded former ATSF "Warbonnet" B40-8W; known as a "Pinkbonnet" by railfans and train enthusiasts. BNSF B40-8's.jpg|A very worn former ATSF "Warbonnet" B40-8W; known as a "Trash-bonnet" by most railfans. BNSF GP60M's.jpg|An example of two former ATSF GP60M units. One being patched, with the other being unpatched. BNSF Primer ES44C4 units.jpg|BNSF primer-painted ES44C4 units being delivered by their "partner", Norfolk Southern. (Notice the H2 logos and lettering.) BNSF ES44C4.jpg|A brand-new BNSF ES44C4 unit. Wow 2.jpg|An extraordinary photo opportunity for most western-American railfans, BNSF 9647 poses beside UP #1988 (the MKT heritage unit) while awaiting orders to proceed from their junction. BNSF 9647 H3.jpg|BNSF "Vomit Bonnet" as of mid-2013, which now retains the "Heritage 3" scheme; besides also being one of the only other SD70MAC units on BNSF's roster to retain such paintscheme. BNSF.JPG|BNSF #1048 and SP No. 745 pulling a short passenger train excursion from New Orleans, Louisiana. Odd-ball BNSF Dash 9.JPG|BNSF #1050 when it first received patchwork (including a former ATSF Warbonnet-painted unit's radiator box). Odd-ball BNSF Dash 9 2.jpg|BNSF #1050 in 2007. BNSF 1050.JPG|BNSF #1050 leading an Amtrak train (note the repainted radiator box). BNSF 9541.jpg|BNSF #9541; another H3-painted SD70MAC unit. BNSF 8070.jpg|BNSF #8070: an "odd-ball" former BN "Cascade Green" painted SD40-2 retaining an odd H1 emblem on the front of the hood. HLCX 8070.jpg|Former BNSF (BN) #8070 as HLCX #8070. BNSF GP28M.jpg|An early rebuilt (former BN) GP28M rebuilt from a GP35 (long before the GP39E program was established). BNSF Heritage Schemes BNSF B40-8.jpg|An example of a Heritage 1-painted BNSF B40-8. BNSF Dash 9.jpg|An example of a BNSF Heritage 2-painted C44-9CW. BNSF GEVO.jpg|An example of a Heritage 3-painted ES44DC. Trivia/Facts *BNSF was the very first railroad to purchase the very first ever North American A1A-trucked, AC-traction GE ES44C4 diesel locomotive: a revolutionary type of locomotive which has since gained a huge popularity with the railroad since the first batch of 20 units built and ordered in 2010. *BNSF has 121 AC4400CW units that are used for back-up service (though, compatible and converted with Dash 9 specifications). None were repainted in the H3 scheme as of July 2013. *BNSF pre-production ES44AC #5730 was repainted in the H3 scheme in late 2012. *Although the BNSF merger was finalized in 1996, the railroad was receiving new Dash 9 units, yet they were still under ATSF ownership. Hence, the units retained their Dash 9 "Warbonnet" liveries, but didn't receive "Santa Fe" lettering on the sides as a result of GE being informed of the proposed and finalized merger between the Burlington Northern and ATSF railroads (although earlier former ATSF units were eventually patched or repainted as a result of having "refurbished" liveries as part of a tradition from BNSF). *BNSF #700 was the first of such units; the first delivered to BNSF, though not in official company paint (similar to the railroad's preceeding order of SD70MAC units from the BN; thus, the deliveries weren't finalized before the BNSF merger between the ATSF's Dash 9 order and the BN's SD70MAC order). *Several former BN and ATSF units from their fleets such as the SD70MAC, C40-8W, B40-8W, and GP60M units retain their original numbers as opposed to being renumbered like other units from BNSF's predecessor's heritage. *BNSF's paintschemes are often referred to or nicknamed "pumpkins" by railfans; aside from repainted and patched former ATSF "Warbonnet" units known as a "Fake-bonnets," as well as faded Warbonnet units nicknamed "Pink-bonnets," with weathered and/or worn units known as a "Trash-bonnet." *BNSF SD70MAC #9647 "The Vomit Bonnet" (or "Barf Bonnet", as nicknamed by railfans), is BNSF's first-painted locomotive, and was one of the last SD70MAC's built, whom received a special experimental scheme to commemorate the "marriage" of the ATSF and BN. (This unit now retains the H3 scheme as of May 2013.) *BNSF SD60M #8197''' "The Great Pumpkin" '''(one of the only later SD60M units purchased by the BN before the merger; not having a "tri-clops" cab) was also painted in an experimental scheme, and is still in existence as of October 2012. *GE Dash 9's and GEVO's are BNSF's primarily-used diesel locomotives, and can often be seen on almost every mainline train. *A few years into the merger, BNSF repainted most of their former ATSF Warbonnet-painted diesel locomotives into an updated patched scheme. As well as patching their fleet of former BN SD70MAC's to avoid confusion with their fleet of former ATSF SD75M's. (Yet, most SD75M units have been repainted with most SD70MAC units still have their original paint.) *They've recently purchased a fleet of GATX leased GP38-2's and patched most of them with their H3 logo's. *BNSF's second order of Dash 9's originally weren't fully painted due to their Heritage 2 scheme being developed during the order, and them denying the GE Erie plant employees to finish painting the units. *They also originally painted their wide-cab diesel locomotives in their H2 scheme during the H2 era, with every other standard cab or special units being painted in their H1 scheme similar to how the ATSF's Yellowbonnet and Warbonnet schemes were used. Yet, as of 2008, the tradition no longer exists, and every other locomotive is repainted into their H3 scheme. *As a result of the economic down-turn during 2008 in the US, BNSF fired or laid-off many of their employees and no longer primarily cleans their locomotives due to severe budget cuts. All of this was caused because of their loss of customers. *BNSF ES44DC #7695 is the only Heritage 3-painted unit to have yellow "powerbar" or "swoosh" logos on BNSF's roster. *BNSF also uses a fleet of former BN (originally GN) rotary snowplows rebuilt from old EMD F units. *To help distinguish their fleet of former ATSF DC-traction EMD SD75M units from their former BN AC-traction SD70MAC units; BNSF still has most of them in their original predecessors schemes to avoid confusion as opposed to painting lightning bolts on the sides of their SD70MAC's like with UP and CSX. *Only two SD70MAC units have been repainted into the H3 scheme; #8987 and #9846. *Very few Dash 8-40CW and Dash 9-44CW units have also been repainted into the H3 scheme. *BNSF #882 is one of the only remaining former ATSF Dash 8-40CW units to be repainted into the H3 scheme and not be retired or sold to the CN. *BNSF #563 is also one of the only B40-8W units to be repainted into the H3 scheme. *BNSF #8617, #8625, and #8612 are the only ATSF "Yellowbonnet"-painted B40-8 units left on their roster. *ATSF 4-8-4 #3751 was also owned by the BNSF and operated several steam excursions under BNSF's ownership. *Most of the B40-8W units (such as the one's shown in the article galleries) were placed in storage and their paint deteriorated. *BNSF #1050 the "Odd-ball Dash 9" is a former H1-painted unit which eventually received H2 patchwork in the center, making the odd combination of two paintschemes known (humorously) as "Heritage 1.2". *BNSF #8070 (now HLCX #8070; formerly BN #8070) was a former BN SD40-2 unit which was repainted with an unusual H1 emblem (the unit no longer bears or wears such emblem as a result of being a unit owned by the HLCX leasing company). Category:Companies Category:US Class 1 Railroads Category:US railroads Category:North American Railroads